Fuse device.



No. 876,273. PATENTED JAN. 7, 19.08.

P. B. HALL.

FUSE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.30.1906.

ends of the fuse conductor are soldered or PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. HALL, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

FUSE DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed December 30, 1905- Serial No. 294.026.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. HALL, citizen of the United States,residing at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia,have invented a certain-new and useful Improvement in Fuse Devices, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to circuit-protecting devices, such as fuses, andits object is to provide more efficient construction and arrangement ofthe parts thereof.

My invention may be considered an improvement over the well knownprotecting devices in which a fuse conductor runs .along a body of micaor other suitable insulating material, tipped at its ends with metallic,terminals, these terminals being adapted for engagement with registeringterminals of a fuse mounting block or standard. In theseprotecting-devices of the prior art the fuse conductor proper liesloosely against the mica body or is held in position by shellac or othertreatment of the mica body. In these fuses of the prior art the blowingof the fuse proper is very frequently followed by a disastrous are.WVhen a heavy current passes. through the fuse conductor a vapor isformed upon the fusing thereof and the arc establishes itself in this vaor, running to the terminal at either end 0 the mica body and destroyingthe registering terminals of the mounting block.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a rotecting device having abody part prefera ly composed of three sections or strips of mica orother insulating material. The middle stri is provided with a hole at ornear the mid dle of its-length. The fuse' conductor passes through thishole, one half lying at one side of the middle strip and the other halfat the other side of the middle strip. In order to strengthen the bodyportion .of the device, I find it desirable to place outside strips ofmica or other insulating material at either side of the middle strip andoutside of'the fuse conductor, so that the fuse conductor. lies betweenthe middle strip and the outer strip on either side. The

otherwise electrically connected to metallic bands wra i ped about theends of the three sections to orm the fuse tcrminals. In con- 1structing the tightening device it is desirable count of the irregularpath which the arc must follow. Any gas or vapor which may be formed inthe blowing of the fuse can readily escape through the openings betweenthe central member of the body portion and the1 side strips which areassociated therewit 1.

My invention will be better understood byreference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fuse; Fig. 2 is aview of the left end thereof; Fig. 3 is a view of the right end of thefuse; Fig. 4 is a top view thereof, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken online 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a lan .view showing the manner of assembl othe fuse parts; Fig. 7 is an end view 0 Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 shows amodified construction.

- The fuse body consists of the single section or strip 1 and the outersections or strips 2 and 3, these strips being preferably of mica,although any other suitable insulating material may be used. The innersection I is provided near the middle of its length with a hole 4, thefuse conduct0r 5 assing through this hole sothat the part 5" t ereofwill lie at one side of the inner section and the part 5 at the othersideof the middle section. The

ends of the fuse conductor are soldered or otherwise electricallyconnected and fastened to the metallic bands 6 and 7. When first formedthese bands are preferably straight, as best illustrated in Fig. 6. Thethree sections 1, 2 and 3 are assembled as shown. in" Fig. 6, and therotecting device is completed by wrapping t e bands 6 and 7 around thethree mica sections or strips, then fastening them together andproviding suitable terminals at the ends of the protecting device forelectrical connection with the registering terminals of a mountingblock. The end of the band (isecured to the part 5 of the fuse conductorwill be disposed between the ends of sections 1 and 2, while the end ofthe band 7 11 between the inner an In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a moresimple fastened to the part 5" of the fuse conductor will lie betweenthe ends of the mica strips 1 and 3.

With the exce tion of Figs. 6 and 7 the drawings show t e bands 6 and 7wrapped around'the mica strips to form termina s 8 and 9. When the fuseblows any are which is-formed must pass through the hole 4 and theirregular path of the arc will be too difficult to be maintained and thearc will be almost instantly destroyed. It will be noted that there is aconsiderable kink in the fuse conductor at the point where it passesthrough the hole 4. Thekink thus formed seems to cause a slightdiminution in the cross-sectional area of the fuse conductor at thispoint, or it may be that the edges of the central mica strip produceslight depressions in the fuse conductor where it is drawn through thehole 4, these indentations causing a suflicient reduction in theconductivity of the fuse conductor to locate the initial rupture at orvery-near the middle of the length of the fuse conductor. Since,therefore, the arc is initially established at the hole 4, thearc-disrupting effect of the zigzag path will immediate y come into playto reserve the terminals from destruction. I the indentations inthe fuseconductor caused in the bending of the conductor through the hole arenot sufficient to assure the initial rupture of the conductor whichpasses through the hole, the fuse conductor may be cut down to aslightly smaller size at this oint. The gas or vapor generated upon thelowing of the fuse may readily escape through the ventilatingdpassageways 10 and outer mic'a strips.

embodiment of my invention, in which there is a single mica strip havinga hole through which the fuse conductor is passed, the ends of thefuseconductor being attached to terminals in a manner similar to thatdescribed in connection with the other figures. In a protecting deviceof this modified construction the; arc will be as quickly andeffectively destroyed as in the case of the device shown in the otherfigures, but I prefer to add one or two mica strips on either one orboth sides of the inner strip inv order to strengthen the device.

While I have illustrated and described cer tain arrangements comingwithin the scope of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to theprecise constructions shown.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Let: ters Patent 1. In acircuit-protecting device, the combination with a supporting 'memberhaving an opening therethrough, o a fuse conductor passin through saidopening to lie artl-y on one si e and partly on the other si e of saidsupporting member,'a strengthening member at each'side of the supportingmember, the

i of a body fuse conductor partsv lying between the suporting member andthe strengthening memers, and terminal members connected with the endsof said fuse conductor, said terminal members serving to clamp thesupporting and strengthening members. together.

2. An electric protecting device, consisting of an inner su portingmember, outer strengthening mem ers, terminals wrap ed about'the ends ofsaidsup orting mem r and said strengthening mem ers, and a fuseconductor passing between one strengthening member and the innersupporting memher at one side thereof and passing between the otherstrengthening member and the inner supporting member at the other, sidethereof.

3. An electricprotecting system, consisting of an inner supportin memberof insulating material,.a strengt ening member at each side-thereof,terminals wrapped about the ends of the supporting and strengtheningmembers, a fuse conductor .electricallyconnecting said terminals, saidconductor passing through an opening in the inner member to lie partlybetween said inner member and one strengthening member and partlybetween said inner member and the other strengthening member.

4. An electric protecting device, consisting of an inner supportingmember of insulating material, a strengthening member at each side ofthe inner su porting member,

ter minals securing sai supporting and strengthening members to ether atthe ends thereof, and a fuse con uctor electrically connecting saidterminals, said fuse conductor passing throu h an opening in the innersup- 1 orting mem er to, e partly between said mner member and thestrengthening member at one side thereof andpartl between the innersupporting member an the strengthening member at the other side thereof.

5. An electric rotecting device, consisting part 0 insulating materialhaving anopenlng therethrough, a fuse conductor passin' through saidopening tolie artly on one si e and partly on the other si e of saidbody part, and terminals for saidfuse wire in the form of metallic bandsw'rapped about the ends of the body part. i

6. A fuse consisting of a supporting. body part and having an opening terethrough, a

se conductor passing thro h said opening to lie partly on one slde anpartly on the other side .of said body part, strengthening members ateach side of the body part, an terminals for the fuse conductor in theform of metallic bands wrappedaboutth'e ends of the body art and thestrengthening members to ho d the parts rigidly to ether.

.7. In a device of the class escribed, the combination with threesimilar strips of insulat' material, there bein an opening throng thecenter strip, of a use conductor passing through said opening to lie atone side of the central strip at one end and on the other side of thecentral stri at the other end, and terminalsconnecte with the fuse 8. Ina device of the class described, thecombination with three similarstrips of insulating material, the central strip being rovided with anopening therethrough, of a use conductor passing through said opening tolie partly at one side of the central strip and partly at the other sidethereof, and between said central strip and the associated strengtheningstrips at either side, and terminals for the fuse conductor in the formof imetallic bands wrapped about the ends of member at each side of thesupporting memher, the fuse conductor parts lying between the supportingmember and the strengthening members, and terminal members con nectedwith the ends of said fuse conductor,

said terminal members being wrapped about the ends of the supporting andstrengthening members to thereby hold said members together.

10. In a device of the class described, the

combination with three similar pieces of insulating material, thecentral piece being provided with an openingtherethrough, of a fuse wirepassing through said opening to lie partly at one side of the centralpiece and partly at the other side thereof, and between said centralpiece of the associated strengthening pieces at either side, andterminals for the fuse wire in the form of coppertbands wrapped aboutthe ends of the three pieces to hold said pieces securely-together, saidfuse conductor serving also to hold the pieces apart to provideventilating spaces leading from the fuse wire to the outside.

11. In a device of the class described, the,

combination with three similar pieces of insulating material, thecentral piece being provided with an opening therethrough substantiallyat its central\ ortion, of a fuse wire passing through saic opening tolie partly at one side of the central strip ,and partly at the otherside thereof, and between said central fuse and the associatedstrengthening pieces at either side, and terminals for the fuse wire inthe form of metallic bands having ends disposed between the supportingmember and one of the strengthening members and then wrapped about theends of the three pieces to' hold said pieces securely together, saidfuse wire serving also to hold the pieces apart to provide ventilatingpassageways leading from the fuse wire to. the exterior.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day ofDecember A. D., 1905.

FRANK B. HALL. Witnesses:

HARVEY L. HANSON, GEORGE E. HIGH'AM.

